Early Bird Review: 30 Rock Season 3 Premiere

The season 3 debut of the best comedy on TV, 30 Rock, is now available online here. Imagine my surprise that NBC and the good folks at Sheinhardt Wigs are giving us a sneak peek a week early. So how does the show stack up against last year’s strong strike shortened year? In a word, passable. The problem with the third season opener is that it is weighed down with the messy job of righting the cliffhangers of last year (if you can even call them that). While I love Will Arnett’s Devon half of the episode is spent wrapping up his tenure as NBC president and it feels more like an obligation than an invitation to funny. On the other hand the guest appearance of Meghan Mullahy as Liz Lemon’s adoption worker is just perfect. Even annoying guest stars like Mullahy shine on 30 Rock. There are some great one-liners and a great definition of rumors. With all the guest stars the strong cast of supporting players take a back seat and miss out on the funny even when they’re on screen. I don’t mean to be such a negative nancy because truth is I laughed a lot and my overriding reaction was gratitude, gratitude that the best comedy on TV is back.